1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus specifically designed to be inserted into a vehicle hitch assembly to transport signs.
2. Problems in the Art
According to United States Department of Labor statistics, as of 2006 there were over 1 million real estate agents or brokers in the United States. These agents and brokers have a common problem, which is the easy transportation of real estate “for sale” and “open house” signs.
Typically, a real estate agent will use the trunk of their personal car, or the rear compartment of their personal SUV, mini-van, van or truck to transport real estate signs to designate a particular property is for sale, or to direct people to an open house. When an agent has an open house, they may transport a dozen or more signs in their car, SUV, or van, in order to place the signs in strategic places to direct potential buyers to the open house. Of course, when the open house is over, the temporarily placed signs have to be retrieved and put back into the agent's personal vehicle. The signs are generally dirty from being placed in the ground or from inclement weather, or may have a significant amount of dirt and mud that will collect on the sign legs from being driven into the ground. The dirt and mud on the sign legs can easily fall off in the trunk or rear compartment area of the agent's personal vehicle, creating a mess. In addition, these signs slide from side-to-side and front-to-back making a constant noise, as well as scratching up the interior and hence, decreasing the value of the vehicle. Real estate signs are typically placed horizontally in a car, van or SUV, and can easily get tangled or intertwined, and consequently be unwieldy to handle. Also, the positions of the signs in a car trunk, SUV, or van rear compartment do not lend themselves to being in optimum ergonomic positions for loading and unloading. The real estate agent has to bend over to untangle and retrieve a sign, or to put a sign back into their personal vehicle, which puts undue stress on an agents' back from being in such a disadvantageous position for lifting, and also creates the inconvenience of opening and closing the vehicle door or end gate.
There are many specific types of carriers designed to fit in a receiver hitch on a vehicle.
One example is U.S. Pat. No. 6,382,487 to Stein, which describes a carrier for a trailer-hitch receiver that is designed to transport bicycles, skis and poles, canoes, canoe paddles and other cargo through the use of a vertical frame into which various rods may be placed, at locations most suited for the specific cargo. However, this invention has not been designed for transporting real estate or other like signs.
Another example of a hitch-mounted carrier is U.S. Pat. No. 6,634,702 to Agan, which describes a truck-bed extension adapted to attach to a truck with a truck gate and a hitch receiver. The truck-bed extension may also serve as a mobile work surface, such as a craftwork surface. However, this invention has not been designed for transporting real estate or other like signs.
Another example of a hitch-mounted carrier is U.S. Pat. No. 6,379,101 to Breaux, which describes a simple, inexpensive ramp and cargo system that is easily mounted to a standard trailer hitch socket of a vehicle with a rear door or hatch, including a minivan. The ramp can be used to load small sized wheeled vehicles, including occupied wheelchairs, into the interior of the vehicle. The ramp and cargo system is carried outside the vehicle and does not decrease the interior space of the vehicle. The ramp and cargo system can optionally serve as a deck attached to the rear of the vehicle to provide additional cargo space. This external deck can be expanded and partially enclosed with two platform pieces and sidewalls. The ramp and cargo system is inexpensive, light-weight, easy to install and remove, and easy to deploy as a ramp. However, this invention has not been designed for transporting real estate or other like signs.
Another example of a hitch-mounted carrier is U.S. Pat. No. 6,478,203 to Burns, which describes a carrier and hitch assembly that is large enough to contain a standard size golf bag and a complete set of clubs. The housing is provided with wheels and a handle so that the housing may be utilized in cart-like fashion. The rear face of the housing is provided with structure for attaching the housing to a hitch assembly for transporting the housing at the rear of an automotive vehicle or golf cart. However, this invention has not been designed for transporting real estate or other like signs.
Another example of a hitch-mounted carrier is U.S. Pat. No. 6,189,754 to Cutajar, et al, which describes a carrier for attachment to a motor home or vehicle for transporting small outboard motors and their associated gasoline tanks. The carrier has a generally rectangular base for a releasable attachment to a motor vehicle. The base has an outboard motor support for supporting an outboard motor in a position to maintain the propeller lower than the engine casing and a gasoline tank storage receptacle for securely transporting the gasoline tank for the outboard motor. However, this invention has not been designed for transporting real estate or other like signs.
A humorous example of a hitch-mounted apparatus is U.S. Pat. No. 6,125,480 to Soffar, et al, which describes an extension member that is attachable to a trailer hitch and extends away from the vehicle and is connected to a seating frame supporting a toilet seat. This toilet seat can be used by hunters, fisherman, campers, construction workers, boaters and other people who find themselves away from conventional bathroom facilities. However, this invention has not been designed for transporting real estate or other like signs.
Another example of a hitch-mounted apparatus is U.S. Pat. No. 7,156,273 to Morris, which describes a convertible cargo container system having individual components that provide a table or work surface. The cargo container system includes a pair of foldable side panels and a pair of rigid end panels coupled to the ends of each side panel to form an enclosed container. A back panel is hingeably connected to a top panel to form one side panel, and a bottom panel is hingeably connected to a front panel to form the other side panel. Each of the front, back, and bottom panels has opposing coupling ends. The interior surface of each end panel has a coupling track that receives the coupling ends of the front, back, and bottom panels. Each of the side panels may be unfolded to provide a table or work surface. Additionally, each of the side panels have retracting or folding legs attached to the interior surface of the side panel that may be extended or unfolded to support the table or work surface. A vehicle hitch coupling support is attached to the bottom of the container. However, this invention has not been designed for transporting real estate or other like signs.
Another example of a hitch-mounted apparatus is US Patent application 20080257925 to Brooks, which describes a ski rack with horizontal storage which may be removably affixed to a conventional trailer hitch on a vehicle. A front carrier is complimentary to the rear carrier, but remains substantially vertical. Skis or snow boards may be secured between the rear carrier and the front carrier. However, this invention has not been designed for transporting real estate or other like signs.
Another example of a hitch-mounted apparatus is US Patent application 20080128463 to Bryan, which describes a trailer hitch mounted combination bike rack and workout station.
The device can be used to store and carry up to three bicycles, and can also be used as a workout station for pull ups, dips, sit ups and other exercises. However, this invention has not been designed for transporting real estate or other like signs.
Another example of a hitch-mounted apparatus is US Patent application 20070164536 to McClellan describes a motorcycle towing device which includes a substantially vertical member and a substantially horizontal member being interconnected for supporting a motorcycle wheel. A draw bar is connected to at least one of the members for insertion into a receiver mounted on a vehicle. A projection mounted on the draw bar is movable outwardly beyond the given outer dimension of the draw bar for contacting the receiver. However, this invention has not been designed for transporting real estate or other like signs.
Another example of a hitch-mounted apparatus is US Patent application 20070057000 to Webster, which describes an apparatus for carrying snowboards or other recreational equipment at the outside rear of a vehicle. The carrier includes at least one pair of supports with two pairs of slots. Each pair of adjacent slots hold two snowboards inserted bottom-to-bottom into the slots. The at least one pair of supports are attached to a vertical member that is attached to a box member. The box member is adapted to be inserted into a standard hitch receiver. However, this invention has not been designed for transporting real estate or other like signs.
Another example of a hitch-mounted apparatus is US Patent 20060218835 to Chafin, which describes a mobile sign carrier for displaying a sign that mounts on a vehicle receiver hitch. The mobile sign carrier has a base, a vertical piece and two cross pieces that fold down to form a cross shape. Four sliding brackets are provided, each having permanently attached a square, flat piece, which sliding brackets are mounted one each on each of the cross pieces and one each on the first end and the second end of the vertical piece. The sliding brackets are positioned and secured by means of a fastener to accommodate signs of different sizes. The mobile sign carrier provides a securing device for use on a vehicle with a tailgate. Safety chains further secure the vertical piece to the trailer hitch. A strobe light and night reflective tape are provided. Even though this invention has been specifically designed for display type signs, it does not include a specifically designed basket, frame, and hitch assembly for transporting real estate or other like signs.
There are many generic and specialized carriers that can be mounted to a receiver hitch assembly on a car, SUV, van or truck.
None of these generic or specialized carriers, either individually or in combinations, describe a specific design or apparatus as provided in the present invention, that overcomes the problems real estate agents or brokers have relating to the transportation of real estate “for sale”, “open house”, and other like signs.
What is needed therefore, is a vehicle hitch assembly apparatus with an integrated sign carrier specifically related to real estate or other like signs, that is cost effective, easy to make, simple to use, and which solves these and other problems. This invention has as its primary objective fulfillment of this need.